Ch.9/ The makings of a positive birth
Things may not go exactly to plan (and trust me, they rarely do in birth) but how you go through your birth makes all the difference.
What makes a birth positive? How can we create an affirming and confident experience? I’ve found that it’s not so much what happens at your birth, but more so how it happens.
Let me explain. It’s possible to go into your birth wanting a vaginal birth with minimal interventions and get that, but still feel negatively about your birth. How is this possible? On paper, everything went how you wanted it to go. Did you feel like you were a decision maker in your birth? Were your thoughts and feelings heard and honored? Were you able to ask questions that gave you insight into why something was happening?
Conversely, if you went into that birth with that same goal of a vaginal unmedicated birth and ended up with a cesarean, it is still possible to feel positively about your birth. We can achieve this by centering your questions and wishes, providing information so you can come to conclusions on your own, and truly understanding why things are happening.
We can shift the framework of birth as something that happens to you and change it to something that you are doing. That can make all the difference in your feelings around your birth.
So to recap, in building a positive birth we need these key ingredients:
Taking the time to ask questions so you know why something is happening
Having the confidence to advocate for more information so you can choose the best decisions for you
Being heard and seen by your support team and care providers
Trusting in your support team and care providers
Even when things don’t go to plan (and let’s be real, in birth, they rarely do!), you can still leave your birth feeling empowered and confident.
Schedule a consult today to discuss more about how to have a positive birth experience.
